Main menu
Staff & students
In this section

Course information

Length

1 year full-time

Department

Art
Centre for Academic Language and Literacies

Course overview

This Pre-Masters programme is aimed at students who are considering undertaking an MA/MFA in Art, but need a year to develop their artistic practice, as well as their critical and academic English language skills.

The Graduate Diploma in Art is a unique programme that will enable you to develop your language skills and critical skills and understanding. Successful completion will guarantee you entry onto one of the following postgraduate programmes:

Develop your art practice along with your critical and English language skills

This course will integrate you into the studio-based postgraduate community in the Department of Art. It will help you develop your English language skills, a critical understanding of your own practice, and the artistic, academic, and political contexts in which that practice occurs.

You will develop your skills in English for academic purposes, and your academic writing for art. You will also attend lectures and seminars in critical studies, and undertake self-directed practice-based study. Successful completion of the course offers automatic progression onto the postgraduate taught course of your choice in the Department of Art.

The GradDip in Art will also enable you to apply for other MA programmes within Goldsmiths, as well as MA programmes at other UK universities.

Contact the department

If you have specific questions about the degree, contact Richard Noble.

What you'll study

Overview

You will take the following compulsory modules:

  • Practice-based Study (45 credits)
  • Critical Studies (45 credits)
  • Academic Writing (15 credits)
  • Language Training: Academic Listening & Speaking (15 credits)

You will have a personal tutor and will receive support in researching and considering the MA degree options for your future studies.

You are encouraged throughout the programme to work independently and in particular to use the resources available in the Goldsmiths Library.

Assessment

Continuous assessment includes regular seminar presentations and researched essays. There will also be written, listening and oral examinations.

Download the programme specification, for the 2019-20 intake. If you would like an earlier version of the programme specification, please contact the Quality Office.

Please note that due to staff research commitments not all of these modules may be available every year.

Entry requirements

You should normally be expected to meet any particular entry requirements of the degree you intend to progress onto.

International qualifications

We also accept a wide range of international qualifications. Find out more about the qualifications we accept from around the world.

If English isn’t your first language, you will need an IELTS score (or equivalent English language qualification) of 6.0 with a 6.0 in writing and no element lower than 5.5 to study this programme. If you need assistance with your English language, we offer a range of courses that can help prepare you for degree-level study.

Selection process

Admission to this programme is by submissions of electronic portfolio and interview. Occasionally, we'll make candidates an offer of a place on the basis of their application and qualifications alone.

Fees & funding

Annual tuition fees

The fees for 2021 will be made available soon, but for reference these were the fees for 2020.

  • International - full-time: £23200

Additional costs

In addition to your tuition fees, you'll be responsible for any additional costs associated with your course, such as buying stationery and paying for photocopying. You can find out more about what you need to budget for on our study costs page.

There may also be specific additional costs associated with your programme. This can include things like paying for field trips or specialist materials for your assignments. Please check the programme specification for more information.

How to apply

You apply directly to Goldsmiths using our online application system. 

Before submitting your application you’ll need to have:

  • Details of your education history, including the dates of all exams/assessments
  • The email address of your referee who we can request a reference from, or alternatively an electronic copy of your academic reference
  • A personal statement – this can either be uploaded as a Word Document or PDF, or completed online. (See our guidance on writing a postgraduate statement).
  • A digital portfolio
  • If available, an electronic copy of your educational transcript (this is particularly important if you have studied outside of the UK, but isn’t mandatory)

You'll be able to save your progress at any point and return to your application by logging in using your username/email and password.

When to apply

We accept applications from October for students wanting to start the following September. 

We encourage you to complete your application as early as possible, even if you haven't finished your current programme of study. It's very common to be offered a place that is conditional on you achieving a particular qualification. 

Late applications will only be considered if there are spaces available.

Related content links